Christie knew about lane closures, lawyer says
The lawyer of high school friend and former confidante David Wildstein said in a letter that the governor knew about the lane closings at the George Washington Bridge as they happened.
<small class="photocaption">New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie allegedly knew about the lane closures as they were happening, according to The New York Times.</small><small class="photocredit">Photo: Associated Press</small> David Wildstein, a Port Authority official who oversaw the George Washington Bridge lane closures last year now says that there is evidence proving Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey was aware of the closings as they happened, The New York Times reported Friday.
The Times story quotes a letter from the lawyer of Mr. Wildstein, a high school friend of Mr. Christie's, describing the order to close the lanes as "the Christie administration's order" and alleges that "evidence exists as well tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated publicly in a two-hour press conference" three weeks ago.
Mr. Christie has denied any immediate knowledge of the politically motivated lane closures now known as "Bridgegate" and has so far let his former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, and Mr. Wildstein take the blame for the scandal.
Mr. Wildstein's letter contradicts the governor's claims during a two-hour press conference three weeks ago that he knew nothing of the bridge closings until after they happened. That press conference followed disclosures that Ms. Kelly sent an email to Mr. Wildstein saying, "Time for some Traffic problems Fort Lee." The closures snarled traffic on the bridge lanes leading to Fort Lee on several days last September.
The letter (below) from Mr. Wildstein's counsel concludes with a paragraph alleging that the scandal illuminates the fact that "there are palpable conflicts at every level of the Port Authority's hierarchy."